Pulp Fiction: Crime Books That Walter Mosley Admires

I love Gary and am a fan of his work. He can write about anything, but when he writes about L.A., I like that there’s a kind of rebellious politics in the people he’s involved with.

The Big NowhereBy James Ellroy

Ellroy is a great writer. Who’s the poet who wrote, “I’m going to make me a world?” The poem is so physical. That’s what Ellroy does when he’s at his best. The way he uses his language, it crashes into itself—it’s a war of the worlds. I find that wonderful and interesting.